


The perfect fit

by TheArtificialDane



Series: The Brightest Timeline [23]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: M/M, Moving In Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-25 04:46:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21670162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtificialDane/pseuds/TheArtificialDane
Summary: Brooke and Vanjie has agreed to move in together, but can that go off without a hitch, when both have a multitude of opinions!
Relationships: Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Series: The Brightest Timeline [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1400260
Comments: 53
Kudos: 121





	1. Chapter 1

Vanjie closed the door to the bathroom behind him, Brooke laying in bed in the small airport hotel that he had booked.

“Move.” Vanjie pushed at his boyfriend, the other man rolling onto his back with a smile so Vanjie could crawl in, and settle on his side of Brooke’s body.

“Hi to you too.”

Vanjie threw an arm over Brooke, leaning his head up to get a sweet and quick kiss, both of them tasting like mint.

They had finished the Branjie show in Toronto the day before, mixing it in with visiting Brooke’s family, Joan both surprised and also incredibly pleased that the last of her children were moving in with their partner, if Vanjie had read her smile correctly.

Joan was so very quiet compared to how his own family acted, but he liked her a lot, Brooke’s carpenter big brother the family member he really didn’t understand. 

Normally, when Vanjie came crawling into bed, Brooke would put his phone away, Vanjie so used to the long, broad strokes down his back and the petting he was usually given, that he didn’t actually notice it was missing at first.

“What you doing?” Vanjie popped his head up, resting it on Brooke’s shoulder. Brooke was naked, except for a pair of boxers, and Vanjie loved the excused to touch his man all over.

“Looking for apartments.” Brooke was looking at his phone, the white light of it shining on his face.

“You are?” Vanjie perked up even further, his chest filled with excitement. Brooke had promised he’d help, had said he wanted to move in during the massive soul crushing fight they had had after DXP, but Vanjie hadn’t actually seen him do anything about it yet, Brooke deflecting most of the time, until he had brought it up at the Branjie show himself. 

“Let me look.”

Vanjie had been searching in every spare moment he had. He had barely ever online shopped, that was the extent of his excitement, looking at clothes not anywhere near as fun as it was to look at apartments and imaging the life he and Brooke was starting together. 

Vanjie had spent an entire afternoon at Silky’s, both of them in face masks, Silky’s computer connected to the TV as they went over the potential places Vanjie had found, Silky fully acting like he was moving too, which Vanjie guessed was a conversation he still needed to have with Brooke.

“Sure?” Brooke sounded a little confused, but he still turned his hand, click a few times, so Vanjie could see his phone, his thumb pressed to his screen.

Vanjie sat up, confused at what he was seeing. “You asking on Instagram?”

“Yes?” Brooke answered like it was the most natural thing in the world, and Vanjie tried to swallow down his irritation, a lot of his anger, hurt and confusion still lingering in the bit of his stomach.

“That’s how I found my place in Nashville.” Brooke shrugged, acting like it was a totally normal thing to do, and Vanjie did actually feel a little stupid for the fact that he hadn’t thought to ask, both of them having well over a million followers each.

Vanjie reached out, and Brooke gave him his phone, the other man scooting down slightly to cuddle up to Vanjie, Brooke pressing a kiss against whatever skin he could reach, and Vanjie felt his annoyance die down fully as he read Brooke’s post.

_ Anyone have any leads on great 2 bedrooms apartments in LA? Must be cat and dog friendly _ .

Vanjie felt warm at the fact that Brooke had remembered their pets, everything suddenly becoming so much more real, when he had written confirmation that Brooke cared about this as well. 

“You only looking for two rooms?” Vanjie ran a hand through Brooke’s hair, his boyfriend resting in his lap.

“I have two rooms now.” Brooke looked up, one of his blue eyes cranked half-open.

“You one person stud.” Vanjie smiled, a little unsure how Brooke imagined they’d fit everything in two rooms, but Brooke simply shrugged.

“It’s not like we’re ever home.”

“That don’t mean I wanna live in no bachelor pad. This is serious stuff. You 34. Act the part.”

“We don’t need more than two rooms.” Brooke turned slightly, his face now towards Vanjie, the soft glow of the bedside table lighting his features, and Vanjie couldn’t help but run his fingers over Brooke’s face, touching his nose and combing through his brows. 

“Rent in L.A is ridiculously expensive.”

Vanjie agreed that Brooke was right, there was however one small thing his boyfriend had apparently not thought about.

“So where you wanna put our drag?”

“... Shit.”

///

Brooke looked over at Vanjie, his boyfriend still running around amongst the shelfs in the small airport kiosk they had chosen for their pitstop.

It was only a 5 hour flight from Toronto to L.A, Brooke normally flying directly home to Nashville after a trip to Canada, but they had a meeting with Voss Events, both Brooke and Vanjie offered a spot on their European tour in the spring of 2020. 

“Do you want anything else?” 

Vanjie was standing by the magazine stand, his legs dressed in the black joggers he preferred traveling in, and Brooke would have smacked his ass, the thing looking absolutely delicious, if it wasn’t for the fact that he knew Vanjie would tear him to shreds for doing it in public.

Vanjie had picked a small mountain of snacks and treats, the other man really not trusting any airline to have food on board that he liked. The mountain did however contain a snack or two that made Brooke smile whenever he looked at them. They were his favorites, Vanjie picking them up even though Brooke knew he hated them

“Calm your titties!”

The young woman who was standing behind the till chuckled, and Brooke considered for a moment if she knew who they were.

Vanjie picked another magazine, the stack in his arm now counting four, and he looked up, a smile on his face.

“Done!”

“We have to hurry if we don’t want to miss-” 

“I know, I know-” Vanjie walked over, dumping his magazines with one hand, the other already in his fanny pack to pull his wallet out. “You just ring it all up cutie.” Vanjie smiled to the till girl, and Brooke got his confirmation that she definitely knew who they were when she blushed all the way to her ears.

“I already have my card out-” Brooke held his hand out, but Vanjie slapped him on the wrist.

“This one on me hot stuff.”

///

“Refills?”

“We good.” 

Vanjie smiled at the stewardess, who continued her round. Normally, he’d have asked for something from her cart, but he didn’t dare move when he was so comfortable where he was. Brooke was sleeping with his head against the side of the plane, his mouth hanging slightly open as he snored lightly, while Vanjie had sneaked himself under his arm, magazines in hand, leaning his back against his side, the third person on their row thankfully not showing up.

Vanjie burrowed in a little further as he made a note for a potential storage system for their drag room, Brooke moving slightly in his sleep, and Vanjie couldn’t wait for how the rest of their lives were laid out in front of them.

///

_ “Why they always gotta put the good snacks in the back-” Silky huffs as he walks down the aisles. He’s clearly in a giant grocery store, blue fabric wrapped around his head, his wood colored glasses on his nose. “Ain’t fair they’re making a big bitch walk like that.” _

_ Vanjie laughs, the other man walking besides Silky. Vanjie is wearing a yellow t-shirt, a black cap on his face. _

_ “You gotta get that move on.” Vanjie smirks, and Silky is just about to reply, when Vanjie gets fully distracted, his eyes drawn to something.  _

_ “Uh.” Vanjie holds up a hand, and stops dead in his tracks. “Hold on.” _

_ “Bitch!” Silky watches on his phone as Vanjie disappears. “Nu uh!” Silky turns around. “Come back! We here for the snacks!”  _

_ Silky flips the camera, and Vanjie is standing with his hand on a stack of towels in shades of blue. “Feel how soft they are.” _

_ Vanjie holds one up, and towards Silky who bashes it away with his hand.  _

_ “Who gives a shit about towels?” _

_“A blue bathroom would be cute, right? Ocean theme and shit?”_

_ “Ok lesbian.” Silky’s voice is clearly not impressed. “Go nuts.” _

///

“Oh, and we also need to restock in medium- Ow!” Brooke pulled his hand back. “Henry, let go-“

“What are you doing?” 

Brooke could hear the confusion in his best friends voice, his phone stuffed between his shoulder and his ear. Brooke called Steve several times a day, sometimes up to seven if he was feeling particularly anxious, everyone always teasing him over his level of micromanaging. 

“Packing.” 

Brooke was sitting on the floor in his kitchen in Nashville, boxes all around him. He waved Henry away, the cat acting like a toddler over the sheer injustice of the fact that he wasn’t allowed to play with the newspaper Brooke was using to stuff the drag shoes that weren’t in rotation.

“Packing, huh?”

“Packing yes.” Brooke rolled his eyes slightly, Steve so clearly smiling on the other end of the line. They hadn’t found an apartment yet, but with how rarely Brooke was home, he needed to get as much done as he could whenever he had a chance.

“The great Brock Hayhoe is moving in with a boyfriend for the first time.” Steve teased.

“Mmh…” Brooke bit his lip, the thought both filling him with warmth and worry. “He is.”

///

Vanjie was looking at himself in the mirror, plucking the stray bits of his boy brow, even as it hurt. 

He didn’t really need to be in the bathroom, even though he had a whitening machine in his mouth, but it was hard not to hover around wherever Brooke was, his man currently in the shower.

Vanjie had dressed up for their first official meeting with a realtor, which Vanjie had booked together with his mom, Anabell happily spending an evening on Skype as she and Vanjie had discussed every possible pro and con of the list of requests they had sent off.

The water was turned off, and Vanjie watched in the mirror as Brooke’s hand showed up to grab a towel, his man stepping out a moment later in all his naked glory.

“Hey.” Brooke smiled, the towel quickly going to his hair as he dried it off, water dripping on the floor.

“Un uesy as funk.” Vanjie tried to talk around the product in his mouth, his words all jumbled up. Brooke looked up, clearly not understanding him.

“What?”

Vanjie took it out. “You messy as fuck.” Vanjie grabbed one of the hand towels, and threw it over the floor, Brooke stepping on it as he realised the watery mess he had made, a laugh falling from him

“Sorry baby.” Brooke smiled, his blue eyes looking for Vanjie’s in the mirror.

“Don’t you get that look.” Vanjie chastised, but he could already feel himself melt. It was impossible to be mad at Brooke, most of all when he was standing there in all of his prime post shower glory, all naked and wet and delicious.

“You don’t want to accept my apology?” Brooke took a step forward, and Vanjie could feel the tension in the room grow. “Do you need convincing?”

“You ain’t gotta convince me shit. We on a schedule.” Vanjie pointed in the mirror, though he couldn’t wipe the smile off of his lips. “No time for tomfoolery.”

Brooke laughed, the spell broken, and he quickly dried the rest of his body off, as Vanjie popped his whitener back in. Brooke dried his feet, his hand against the wall as he looked at Vanjie, who was fixing the last bit of his brow.

“You’re taking this whole thing pretty seriously, huh?”

“Un et I am.”

///

“And here we have the open kitchen-“

The realtor showed them a very pretty, not gorgeous, but perfectly functioning kitchen and living room space.

It was the third apartment of the day, and so far, Brooke had found faults with all of them.

Vanjie agreed with the first one, a ground level apartment really not a good idea when they had for thousand upon thousand of dollars worth of costum-made clothing that was hard to insure, but he wasn’t sure if he had agreed with Brooke’s second dismissal, his boyfriend apparently googling crime in the area which had made him nope out before they had even seen the place.

“Excuse me?” The realtor looked over at Brooke, who was standing with his back to them, his hand on the AC unit.

“Sorry.” Brooke looked over his shoulder. “When was the last time the AC unit was cleaned? In the building I mean.”

“Umh-” The realtor stopped, a bit surprised at Brooke’s question. “Let me look that up-“ She left the kitchen, her pamphlet left in the entry hall. 

“AC unit?” Vanjie looked up at Brooke, his boyfriend still fiddling with the white box. “Why you asking that?”

“This is old.” Brooke points at it, and Vanjie guessed he could see his boyfriends point. “But the apartment is new, so I think we’re being ripped off with the price they’re asking for.”

Brooke had been interested in the apartment suggestions Vanjie had sent over, had given his perspective on a few of them, but he hadn’t been anywhere near as involved as he was right now, and Vanjie was frankly surprised at this new side of his man.

“How you know all this stuff?”

“I have older siblings.” Brooke said it like it was the most natural explanation in the world. He went over to the fridge, getting on his toes so he could look at the back of it.

“Bitch me too,” Vanjie crossed his arms, and watched Brooke, his boyfriend acting extremely strange. “That don’t mean I know shit about AC units.”

“My dad used to bring us. All of us”

Vanjie’s arms fell to his side, his annoyance instantly gone. “What?”

Brooke never talked about his childhood, even if Vanjie asked, Brooke apparently not seeing the point, so he only ever had whatever tidbits that fell off in moments just like this.

“Bring you where?”

“When someone moved.” Brooke walked into the living room, where he pushed on the window, checking if the glass held tight. 

“The worst was when my auntie Ida bought an entire house.” Brooke looked over to Vanjie, a smile on his lips like it was normal. 

“That was truly a day from hell, even though we came straight from church. It took the entire afternoon.”

Vanjie knew that Brooke had attended church as a kid, had seen a few photos around Joan’s house with the entire Hayhoe family dressed up in their Sunday best, teenage Brooke standing there in a pale yellow shirt with a blue tie. It didn’t make sense however, with what he knew of Brooke today, the adult man he loved so unlike any of the people he knew that went to church.

“My dad called it a life skill. To know when you’re being ripped off.” 

They heard the front door, and Vanjie realised that their realtor had apparently gone to her car, to get the documents Brooke had requested.

“And this-” Brooke looked around. “This is definitely it.”

///

Vanjie was humming with frustration, the only reason he hadn’t blown up the fact that they were in an Uber.

The day had gone from great, to okay, to worse, and now he was so aggravated that he felt like he was burning. Brooke was sitting beside him, not saying anything at all, and where silence usually meant that Vanjie couldn’t find more reason to rage, right now it was simply fueling the fire he felt inside.

The car stopped, and Vanjie got out, the only reason he didn’t slam the door the knowledge at how prissy Brooke got over his score taking hits. 

“Don’t look at me like that.” Brooke walked over to the stairs, Vanjie following right behind him.

“So you think it’s been fun looking at a million different places?”

“We looked at 11-”

“And you didn’t like a single one!” Vanjie threw his arms out, his voice rising in volume, Brooke already unlocking their door before they stepped inside.

“If you expect me to pay that much every single month for a place to sleep-”

Vanjie rolled his eyes so hard it hurt, Brooke taking his jacket off, and Vanjie wanted to puke in frustration over how many times he had heard Brooke say variations of the same fucking sentence all day. 

“I’m not paying for something that isn’t quality.”

Vanjie wanted to point out that there was so much about Brooke that didn’t care about that normally, so much about his coupon clipping, Target sock wearing, tequila drinking, poutine eating boyfriend that wasn’t quality, but Brooke interrupted his rage with a soft voice.

“I thought-” Brooke put his hands on Vanjie’s hips, pulling him in, and Vanjie felt a small part of himself forgive Brooke. “You were team serious with this.”

“Serious?” Vanjie looked up, smoke practically coming out his ears. “I found a gazillion decent fucking places-“

“You found 11…” Brooke was clearly trying to calm it down. “We’ll find it-”

“We in LA bitch!” Vanjie pushed Brooke away. “There ain’t no perfect place. You acting like you don’t even want this-”

“I don’t want to make a mistake.”

Vanjie stopped dead in his tracks, his world grinding to a halt.

He was Brooke’s eyes widen, his boyfriend realising exactly what he had said, and Vanjie felt his inner fire drown in grey

“Fuck you.”

Vanjie pushed past Brooke, tears gathering in his eyes, his heart crumbling in his chest.

“Jose- wait.”

Vanjie could hear Brooke call, but he slammed the bedroom shut, even the thought of looking at Brooke’s face too much to stomach.

///

To wait for whenever Vanjie blew up even more, or if the storm had passed was it’s own special kind of torture.

Brooke had put their things from the day away, did the dishes from that morning and fed Riley while he waited to see if Vanjie came flying out of the bedroom, ready for a second go.

This fight felt different though, the hurt in his boyfriends eyes already haunting him.

Brooke pressed send on a dinner order of sushi, when he decided that he should probably check up on the other man. 

When he opened the door to the bedroom, Vanjie was lying in the dark underneath his duvet in a little ball, not a single sound coming from him as Brooke got on the bed, and laid down.

Vanjie didn’t move away, so Brooke put an arm over him, slotting their bodies together before he whispered.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

Brooke truly hadn’t, but it was clear that he had still hurt Vanjie, had still accidentally once again put his giant foot down in the worst possible way.

“It still what you said.”

It broke Brooke’s heart to hear that Vanjie had been crying, his boyfriends voice clearly carrying the gruff wool of tears. Vanjie was whispering, like he was scared they'd start their fight up again if he spoke loudly.

“I just want everything to be perfect.” Brooke kissed Vanjies’ cheek, the other man allowing it. “I want this. I promise.”

“You got a real stick up the butt way of showing it.” Vanjie huffed, turning around in bed so they were lying chest to chest.

“I could stick something up your butt?” Brooke smirked.

“Bitch be fucking serious.” Vanjie hit him, but Brooke simply smiled.

Contrary to the words however, Vanjie buried himself in Brooke’s arms, Brooke’s hand slowly running up and down his back.

They laid still for a while, finding each other again, Brooke chewing everything they had happened that day over in his mind.

“Maybe renting isn’t the answer.” Brooke kissed Vanjie’s hair, the suggestion spoken in a quiet tone.

“You don’t wanna rent?” Vanjie looked up at him. “What we wanna do then? Squat whatever place we fancy?”

“No.” Brooke snorted, Vanjie’s perfect ridiculousness one of his favorite things about him. “You said it yourself. I’m 34.”

“So?”

“We could buy something.”

Brooke felt Vanjie freeze, the reaction not exactly what Brooke had imagined since Vanjie loved any and all signs of commitment, but as his boyfriend spoke, it made sense.

“You got that kinda money?”

“I remember winning 100.000 dollars.”

“And a man.” Vanjie smirked, wiggling his brows.

Brooke had originally meant to save them for a Miss Gay America run in case he would be forgotten, his anxiety giving him that promise the moment he had actually realised the Drag Race crown was on his head. 

Reality, hadn’t turned out that way though, his social media breaking with followers in numbers he had never imagined, VH1 reaching out to him about hosting Drag Race Canada, and Brooke felt secure enough in his career, that he wanted to invest in his relationship.

He wanted this to work, and it would.


	2. Chapter 2

Diving head first into a project had always been one of Brooke’s favorite things to do. 

He loved being consumed, loved giving himself over completely, and he loved working on something, focusing until he was done.

He had spent half a day on Vanjie’s terrible couch, his laptop open, his back bent over, surfing every single website he could find with apartments for sale. He had looked at bank loans and interest rates, collecting every financial record he had of his own, all while attempting to make sense of how much Vanjie averagely made in a year - the tasks keeping his traitorous mind fully occupied, and Brooke felt renewed with the work.

He hadn’t realised how wrong they had gone about the project of finding a place to live until Vanjie had exploded, his boyfriends emotions always coming to the surface whenever he wanted them to or not, Vanjie’s heart always on his sleeve, and Brooke loved him for it, Vanjie’s truth and trust meaning that they had to be honest with each other, even when Brooke felt scared.

///

_ “Why you smiling like a bitch with a twinkie?”  _

Vanjie wrinkled his nose, Silky’s face taking up his screen. “I don’t like no damned twinkies.”

_ “Don’t mean you ain’t got a secret.” _ Silky’s eyebrow was raised, and Vanjie laughed. Silky was in Italy with his grandma, his best friend saving the majority of his coin so he could take the little old woman out to see the world.

“Memeber how Brock and I been looking for a place to live?” Vanjie was on the elliptical machine at the gym, sweat running down his back. 

_ “I member you leaving me.” _ Silky huffed, crossing his arms.  _ “Leaving me that’s what you doin-” _

Vanjie interrupted Silky, the secret so big he couldn’t keep it inside anymore. “We buying an apartment Mama!” Vanjie yelled, fireworks going off in his chest from pure happiness.

_ “You buying?” _ Silky moved close to the phone, his eye taking up the entire screen.  _ “How you got that type of money? You booked on some TV show you ain’t told me shit about? We sisters you know.”  _ Silky pulled away, his face still beyond suspicious. _ “You got a legal obligation to tell me everything.” _

“Brock’s paying.” Vanjie smirked, saying it making him feel like a very expensive lady, but it only made Silky snort.

_ “Oh so now he a willing hoe?” _

Vanjie had complained endlessly over how they weren’t moving forward to Silky, had even sought refugee in his apartment after he and Brooke had fought so hard he had left their summer tour, but Silky didn’t have to be like that. 

_ “What you do? Suck the dick like a lollipop until he said yes?” _

“Bitch offered on his own.” Vanjie breathed through his nose, anger and embarrassment welling in the pit of his stomach.

_ “Wait-” _ Silky looked at his face, and Vanjie felt like he could see right through him. _ “You cried.” _

“No I didn’t-”

_ “You went full blown woman and cried until he said yes!” _ Silky cackled, and Vanjie groaned, his best friend not seeing the big picture of all.

_ “Well congratulations bitch. You earned that shit for shacking up with Miss Shady Brookes.” _

///

“How do we feel about tiles?” Brooke took a bite of his eggs. 

They were out for breakfast at a little cafe, he and Vanjie sitting outside, Riley asleep under Vanjie’s chair. They had ordered together, but Brooke had only just been allowed to start eating, his boyfriend insisting on taking pictures and arranging their food just right.

“Depends on where.” Vanjie was flipping through one of the apartment listings Brooke had printed, Jason telling him in no uncertain terms when he heard about the project that if he wanted Vanjie to concentrate, he needed to take him out and give him printed materiale.

Weirdly enough, it seemed to work perfectly.

“Kitchen?” Brooke bopped Vanjie’s foot under the table, his boyfriend laughing as he hit him back.

“Only if that shit has heating.” Vanjie had barely touched his food, too focused on papers, and Brooke was worried for a minute if Jason’s advice worked too well. “Don’t want no cold footsies.”

“So not that one then.” Brooke smiled to himself, his Canadian self unable to get into a mindset where L.A could ever be cold, but if it mattered to Jose, it mattered to him.

Buying in LA was ridiculously expensive, but surprisingly enough, Brooke wasn’t freaking out about it, the fact that he’d own the apartment making him a lot less picky than with a rental since he knew he could change the things he didn’t like, and actually gain something for his time and money.

“I like this one.” 

Brooke pulled one of the listings out, and he hoped Vanjie would like it too since it was one of his personal favorites.

“Cats and dogs allowed, of course. First floor, so there’ll be no stalkers.”

Vanjie smiled, listening to Brooke’s words as he drank his smoothie.

“And-” Brooke flipped the page, pictures of the bathroom now on the table. “A really big shower.”

“See now-” Vanjie took the papers. “Now you talking Mami.”

///

Vanjie had spent too long forming his extra duvet into a human shape behind him before he had snuggled in for the night. Riley was tucked in too, his dog keeping him company while Brooke was away on bookings, and while it wasn’t the same, it did help a bit.

Vanjie had tried to mention that maybe Brooke didn’t have to travel all over the country, didn’t have to take every booking in nowhere Wyoming, but Brooke insisted that it was part of the crown, that touring and meeting the fans, promoters and fellow queens was a part of his responsibility as current reigning. 

Vanjie didn’t understand it, but he loved Brooke, so he dealt with it like an adult, which meant he ignored it as much as he could.

Vanjie opened his Instagram, hoping that he’d see a picture or two of Brooke before he went to sleep, but tonight, he had hit the jackpot, the Branjie accounts on Instagram going wild.

He clicked on an account, and was taken directly to a live that couldn’t be more than a few hours old. Brooke was standing on a stage, the bar so small and Brooke so tall she was practically touching the ceiling with her head, her signature blonde wig falling own her shoulders, her skin tight bodysuits glittering as she held up a microphone. 

_ “How the apartment hunting is going?”  _ Brooke’s voice was surprised  _ “That’s what you guys want to know at a gay bar on a friday night?” _

Vanjie snorted, Brooke looking absolutely stunning. 

_ “Well.” _ Brooke lifted her shot,  _ “Werq.” _ and drowned it in one go.

Vanjie chuckled, Brooke ridiculous and perfect. 

_ “If you really want to know-” _ Brooke smiled on the recording, her cheeks pleasantly red.  _ “It’s going rather well?” _

Brooke moved her hair, and Vanjie felt the familiar surge in his stomach, Brooke so gorgeous in drag that he always fell in love all over again when he got to watch her from the audience. 

_ “It’s very adult, very boring, quite hard, and absolutely perfect.” _

///

“So that was a bust.” 

Brooke closed the car door behind him, a tray of coffees balancing in his hand. 

They had seen the first apartment they had been interested in, and Brooke had actually had high hopes for it, but they didn’t even make it inside since they had bumped into the upstairs neighbor, the way the man's eyes widened telling Brooke everything he needed to know about his fan status, and there was no way Brooke was going to live in the same building as a super fan.

“You whole entire ass face cracked.” Vanjie smirked as he reached out, taking his giant iced latte.

They still had over an hour to go before they had to be at their next viewing, so they were parked in a Starbucks parking lot, Brooke just wanting to get away as quickly as he could.

“I don’t need a fan anywhere near where I fuck.” Brooke took a sip of his coffee.

Vanjie snorted, but Brooke could see the same worry over the situation in his face, living near a fan not something either of them wanted.

“Damn West Hollywood.” Brooke sighed as he put his cup down, starting the car to pull out, L.A traffic still totally unpredictable to him. “I really liked the location, you’d never have to worry about getting home after work.”

Brooke would never have guessed that between the two of them, Vanjie would be the one with a home bar. Morgan had offered Vanjie a very nice contract with Mickey’s, promising him that he could basically come and go, the crowds going even more crazy for a Vanjie performances when it wasn’t announced.

“My drunk ass always find a way.” Vanjie smirked.

It suited Vanjie to have a place he knew he could always return to, while Brooke loved luxuriating in the fact that he never had to coordinate with anyone about whatever bookings he wanted to take.

“Sides,” Vanjie leaned back in the seat. “We doing fine.”

“Fine?” 

“Last time we went hunting, we saw 11, so two ain’t shit.”

Brooke laughed as he slowed the car down, waiting for the green lights.

“I’m glad I’m doing this with you.” Brooke leaned over, pressing a quick kiss against Vanjie’s cheek, Brooke having the good sense not to notice how Vanjie’s eyes welled with tears, even though he was smiling.

///

Two wasn’t the charm, or three or four, but number five looked pretty damned good. 

The estate agent had let them in and allowed them to wander around, Brooke going straight for their possible drag room with his measuring tape, while Vanjie had hung back. 

The apartment was perfect, the windows letting in a ton of light, and as Vanjie walked around, he felt a sense of peace settling over him, the hardwood floors perfect for little dogs and kitten paws. The bathroom was fine too, the showerhead needing to get reinstalled for both of them to be comfortable, but that was manageable, Vanjie’s stack of interior magazines under his bed only growing and growing.

What sold the apartment for him whoever, was the kitchen. 

It was more than big enough for Brooke to move around without worry of knocking anything over, but Vanjie’s favorite bit was a little nook, that he knew would be perfect for a kitchen set, Vanjie already imagining all the evenings where he would sit and watch Brooke cook.

“So what do you think?”

Vanjie turned around to see Brooke standing in the door, his boyfriends hands burrowed in the pockets of his hoodie, but Vanjie didn’t know what to say, his heart so very scared Brooke hated it.

“Mmmh.”

“It does have an extra room.” Brooke walked into the kitchen, “besides a drag closet, but I don’t think that would be a problem…” Brooke leaned against the counter, and Vanjie saw that he was absolutely right, everything in the kitchen already to Brooke’s scale. “It could be nice for whenever anyone comes to stay…”

Brooke crossed his arms, looking over at Vanjie, and he realised that Brooke looked just as worried as he felt, the little wrinkle between his boyfriends brow betraying his overall relaxed expression.

“You feeling it?” Vanjie leaned against the other counter, the two men opposite of each other in the kitchen.

“Do you?” Brooke raised a brow. 

“I asked you first.” Vanjie huffed, avoiding a direct answer so like the man he loved.

“I asked you second,” Brooke countered, and in that moment, Vanjie knew that he had to once again be brave for both of them, that he had to be the one to take the first step, and that that was okay.

“I love it here.”

///

“Bitch-” Brooke watched as Vanjie tried to fight his way through his apartment. “I knew you was too good to be true.”

Brooke snorted, Vanjie’s complaint equally endearing and slightly hurtful. 

“I told you you didn’t have to come.” 

They were in Nashville, the plan originally to pack up the last of Brooke’s stuff to send off with UPS, donate his furniture, and then take the cats to Vanjie’s by plane as they finalized the rest of the apartment details, Brooke already putting in an official offer for the place, but packing hadn’t exactly gone according to plan.

“You kidding me?” Vanjie smirked as he leaned against a box tower, his hands filled with the takeaway that had just gotten delivered. “This shit is heaven.”

Vanjie stepped over an open suitcase, sitting down on the floor next to Brooke. “You always pretending you this minimalistic asshole, only needing one duffle-“

“Brock doesn’t take up a whole lot of space.”

Brooke opened the container, handing Vanjie his rice and beans, while Brooke took his own. 

“- giving me shit for my stuff and my memories-“

“I’ve never done that.” Brooke unwrapped the tinfoil on his food, Vanjie raising a brow at his words. “Okay maybe I’ve done that.” Brooke smiled. 

He tried to understand why Vanjie kept so many things, had tried to see why felt a need to keep everything that had the slightest of sentimental value to him.

“You just like everybody else boo.” Vanjie smirked, putting a hand on Brooke’s knee. “You a messy ass bitch too, and you best believe I’ma be gloating about this.”

“I didn’t actually realise I had this much drag…” Brooke looked around, Vanjie’s point more than standing on its own.

Brooke had sent a group text out to his sisters at Play, telling them that he had an official date for his move, and if they still had any of his stuff, he’d like to have it back now. Brooke had expected to receive a single box, maybe two, but as things kept rolling in, it was nearing 20, the shared wardrobes at Play meaning that his sisters had borrowed so much more from him over the years than he would have ever remembered on his own. 

“We gonna find the space for it.” Vanjie smiled as he curled up his empty food wrapper, his boyfriend finishing his food in four bites, rice and beans always Vanjie’s favorite combination. “As long as we all abroad the moving express.”

Vanjie leaned back on his hands, Brooke also ordering a side salad for himself as well as a drink. Vanjie was gently petting Apollo as Brooke ate, the two of them chatting about everything and nothing, until Apollo ran off, jumping into a box. 

“Hey-” Vanjie stood up. “Lil man, I know you excited about moving, but you ain’t going in the truck.”

Vanjie opened the box, picking Apollo up, his eyes falling on the contents of the box, and Brooke realised with a horror which one he had opened.

“What the…”

“No- Don’t- Jose!” Brooke put his food down, getting on his knees, but it was already too late, Vanjie dumping Apollo on the floor as he picked out the pieces of paper Brooke had hoped he would never see.

“I ain’t allowed to come see-” Vanjie read aloud. “Why you got paper with my handwriting-? Wait” Vanjie’s eyes widened, and he held the scrap of paper up and towards Brooke. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Depends on what you think it is…” Vanjie had found the notes they had sent each other during Drag Race, Brooke keeping all of them since it was the first love letters he had ever received, and Brooke wanted to die from embarrassment. 

“Shit…” Brooke expected Vanjie to make fun of him, was only waiting for the jokes, but as nothing happened, he looked up, Vanjie unbuttoning his own shirt. 

“... What are you doing?” Brooke watched as Vanjie took his shirt off, his undershirt following right behind it, his boyfriend suddenly halfnaked in his living room.

“If you think we ain’t fucking right here-” Vanjie opened his belt, “and right now stud.” Vanjie toed his shoes off. “You real fucking wrong.” 


	3. Chapter 3

“Here you go-” Brooke put a bowl of cat food down, the porcelain clinking against the tiles in Vanjie’s bathroom. 

Henry and Apollo were still in their cages, both of the cats beyond pissed off at him, and Brooke guessed that he understood, even though it sucked to see his darlings hate him so very much.

Brooke hadn’t been sure of the offer when Vanjie had first told him he’d come with him to Nashville, but it had turned out to be a good call and a real comfort to have his boyfriend with him as they had traveled with the cats. 

It had been a struggle to turn his pets over to the airport personale, his entire body itching with anxiety, his chest burning with a panic attack that was just on the curbs of happening, but then, Vanjie had taken his hand, squeezing it tight, and Brooke had felt enough calm wash over him that he had been able to say see you soon to the cats that he loved so very much.

“Come on Henry-” Brooke bit his lip, his cat completely ignoring him. Normally they would both come running at even the promise of wet food, but even though he had opened both cages, they refused to come out.

“You haven’t eaten all day, and I got you your favorite.” 

“You gotta give the bros some privacy.”

Brooke looked over his shoulder, to where Vanjie was leaned against the doorframe. Riley had been banished to the living room, both of them knowing that it was too much too soon to not only introduce the cats to a new home, but also to another pet.

“But-” Brooke sighed. “I just hate when they’re upset with me.”

“If Henry ain’t on sale for the Trader Joe's cat food, you know he pissed.” Vanjie smiled, his eyes soft. “Come watch TV, and let them prissy pussies be prissy.”

///

Vanjie groaned, his phone open as he tried to read while he was on the elliptical machine at the gym. 

Brooke had sent him an overview of a few different homeowner insurances he was considering for them, and it was mind numbingly boring. 

“Fuck…”

“Why you-” Silky gasped, his friend on the machine next to him. Silky took a deep breath, grabbing for his water bottle. “Why you looking like someone sent you poop?”

Vanjie snorted at Silky’s choice of word, his best friend as always saying it exactly like it is.

“Brock sent me all this-” Vanjie bit his lip, putting his phone down and speeding up, attempting to banish the unease in his stomach by exhausting himself. 

“How the fuck we ever got civilisation rolling when adult life has all this complicata shit?”

Vanjie saw himself as someone who was pretty adult. 

He had held down an actual job at Mac before Drag Race had run amok. He had his own place, had a manager and even paid his taxes, but when he was confronted with all the shit Brooke wanted him to have an opinion on, Vanjie felt like a child.

“You regretting buying?”

Vanjie huffed. Silky was a good friend, he really was, but he had been such a bitch ever since Vanjie had told him he and Brooke were buying a place, always poking and prodding with questions. 

“No bitch. It just-” Vanjie groaned. “I didn’t think it’d be this hard.”

Vanjie had imagined it’d be like in the movies, that they’d love a place, they’d hand over some money and instantly get the keys, but buying property had turned out to be a whole lot more complicated than that. 

Brooke had spoken with the bank, then the estate agent, then the bank again, and finally the sellers. 

Vanjie was incredibly thankful that Brooke was taking care of it, but it also felt strange and wrong that he didn’t know how to help with something as important as their first home together.

The process was painfully long, and what made it even harder was the fact that Brooke was traveling all over the place. Brooke kept accepting every booking that was thrown his way, and it was driving Vanjie up the wall. 

They had talked about it briefly, and Vanjie had said that he didn’t understand why Brooke kept going, but his boyfriend had deflected, barely meeting his eyes as he had mumbled something about being forgotten.

Vanjie had no idea why Brooke seemed so very sure that people would forget him, since Vanjie knew that he never could, but it appeared to be a defining part of his boyfriend, not even the Drag Race crown on his head giving him the reassurance he needed to not worry.

“Just give up then.”

Vanjie shot Silky a look, his best friend snorting and laughing.

“Only a suggestion.” Silky shrugged.

“Fuck you.” Vanjie smiled, Silky’s suggestion filling him with renewed energy as he picked up his phone once again, ready to give reading the document another chance.

///

“Shit…” Brooke was digging through her jewelry bag, looking for the pair of earrings she wanted to wear for the night, but as she made her way through the bag, she realised that they were nowhere to be found. 

“Fuck!” Brooke groaned, annoyance rushing over her. 

“Are you okay?” Brooke looked over to where Courtney was lying on the bed, phone in hand. Brooke had been booked in Montreal, the fact that she was in Canada, meaning that it was the natural choice for her to bring Courtney along. 

“I forgot the earrings I wanted to wear.” Brooke groaned. 

Brooke was usually more than okay about packing, years of experience getting it down to an art, but she had tried to predict her needs for almost an entire month of bookings, and while most missteps had been small and fixable, this earring thing was the first time she was truly annoyed.

“You?” Courtney smiled, rolling over on her back. “You never forget anything.”

“I was so sure I had packed them…” Brooke sighed. “Everything is chaos at home right now.”

“I saw the pics.” Courtney chuckled. 

Vanjie had shared a quick overview of his living room on his Instagram stories, the space most of all looking like a cardboard fort. The legal stuff had taken a lot longer than any of them had expected, Brooke’s stuff showing up way before they were ready for it, but as long as the animals were okay and Vanjie was cool, Brooke could live with it. Apollo and Henry loved the box forrest, and had taken to using it as their own personal scratching trees, so that was at least somewhat good.

“I can’t wait to move.” Brooke sighed.

“Brock Hayhoe, who can’t wait to move in with his boo.” Courtney smirked, and Brooke snorted. “How the mighty have fallen.”

It was more than fair, Courtney the one who had heard most of her complaints and fears about moving in with Vanije, but that didn’t mean that she had to be sassy, though she absolutely deserved it.

///

Vanjie heard the front door open, a giddy sensation rolling through his body at the thought that Brooke had just used his very own key to come home. 

Vanjie was laying on the couch under his duvet, the entire day spent hungover from his booking at Mickey’s last night that had ended up with more shots than Vanjie could count with his fellow queens. Vanjie had only gone outside to walk Riley, the dog napping between his feet on the floor. Vanjie was wearing Brooke’s hoodie, the fact hat they now lived together, though the situation was less than ideal, made it a whole lot easier to steal Brooke’s stuff, and Vanjie loved it.

“Anybody home?”

“In here mountain man!”

Vanjie could hear Brooke attempt to make his way to the living room, his man finally showing up, and Vanjie smirked as he looked at Brooke in his grey sweats, a long t-shirt and flip flops, which was Brooke’s standard flying outfit.

“Hey.” Brooke walked over, giving Vanjie a brief kiss. “Hungover?”

“Mmh.” Vanjie smiled, leaning up for another smush, but Brooke pulled back, Vanjie’s bullshit alarm instantly going off.

“What you hiding?” Vanjie sat up on the couch, crossing his arms.

“Nothing.” Brooke raised an eyebrow, but Vanjie could see that he was lying.

“Bitch,” Vanjie huffed. “It’d take a blind hoe not to notice you’re hiding shit.”

“Fine.” Brooke bit his lip. “Well, I had this idea,” Brooke sat down on the couch besides Vanjie, dumping on top of his duvet, his arms on the backrest “but now it seems stupid.” 

Brooke looked almost shy, Henry instantly jumping from his box tower to settle on Brooke’s lap.

“You are pretty stupid.” Vanjie smirked, running his hand over Brooke’s arm.

“Hey!”

“Don’t get mad.” Vanjie smiled, leaning towards to give Brooke a kiss. “So what is it?”

“I have a present for you.” Vanjie’s interest was instantly piqued, but Brooke still looked indecisive, like he wasn’t sure if he should actually give Vanjie whatever he had bought.

“Boo.” Vanjie snug his hand under Brooke’s shirt, caressing the warm skin of his wrist. “There ain’t no universe where any present you ever gonna get me is gonna be stupid.”

Brooke raised an eyebrow, and Vanjie giggled.

“Just…” Brooke took a deep breath. “Be cool.”

Vanjie pulled back and watched as Brooke reached into his bag, pulling out a very recognisable brown paper bag with green writing.

“You got us Starbucks? Why? Ain’t like we got no coffee machine yet.”

Vanjie didn’t drink anywhere near the amount of coffee that Brooke did, but his suggestion of just getting whatever machine at Target had been shot down instantly, Brooke apparently wanting quality whatever that meant when it comes to coffee. If there was one thing Vanjie knew, however, it was that Starbucks was not it.

“Just open it.”

Vanjie took it, doing as Brooke said, and as he pulled the insides out, Vanjie found two tourist cups from Starbucks with Canada written on them. 

He looked over at Brooke, who was watching him, worry clear on his face.

“I figured they’d be cute for the apartment?”

Brooke was so fucking cute that Vanjie didn’t know what to say, but he could see the worry in Brooke’s face fully transform into regret, Brooke obviously thinking he had overstepped or done something wrong.

“I can return them if you don’t like the-”

Vanjie cut him off, jumping on Brooke to kiss him, decorating his face with butterfly kisses as he laughed.

It was the sweetest gift, and Vanjie couldn’t get the idea out of his mind that Brooke had been standing in line at the airport, that he had seen something he liked and had bought it for their place, the cups just another sign of their commitment, and Vanjie loved them.

  
  


///

“If you could please just sign here.”

Vanjie grabbed the pen, pulling the paper towards himself and pressing the felt tip down, actually destroying the paper in his haste to sign it.

They were finally, finally, finally, signing the papers on their apartment, the bank loan finalized, and as Vanjie pushed the paper towards Brooke, it was actually really real.

Brooke had told him to read their contracts, but Vanjie had simply skimmed it, not actually understanding any of it, and he didn’t care. Brooke had discussed how their bank loan was split up, and Vanjie had tried to listen. He really had, but it had only taken seconds before he was tuning Brooke’s voice out, instead watching his lips move, Brooke’s lips one of his favorite parts about his boyfriend. 

Vanjie had no idea what Brooke had told him, but it didn’t really matter to him, because what was a relationship worth if it wasn’t built on trust.

“Here you go.” Brooke handed the document back, their real estate agent looking at both of them with a smile on their face.

“Mr. Hayhoe, Mr. Cancel,” They smiled. “Congratulations. You’re officially house owners.”

///

“Babe! Come over here!”

Brooke chuckled at Vanjie who was standing by the window. Brooke had tried to tell Vanjie that actually signing the document wasn’t a big deal, but Vanjie had insisted on dressing up, and had forced Brooke to do the same. 

The agent had left, and Brooke couldn’t believe that this was his actual, real life home.

“Bitch! Come on!”

Vanjie looked over his shoulder, and Brooke laughed, going to where Vanjie was.

“Hey.”

“Get closer.” Vanjie was holding his phone up, and Brooke chuckled as he saw that it was in selfie mode. Vanjie was wearing a brown leather jacket, and a white t-shirt underneath, while Brooke had been put in an Yves Saint Laurant shirt. 

Brooke fixed his hair, Vanjie rolling his eyes at it.

“Come on hot stuff.” Vanjie whimed, pulling his arm. “You look fine.”

Brooke chuckled. “How do you want me?”

“Any way you’ll give me.” Vanjie smirked, the flirty look in his eyes taking over his mission for a minute before Vanjie snapped back to being serious. Vanjie had shown Brooke more photos on Instagram of couples buying their first place together than Brooke had ever had any interest in seeing, so he knew that this was important for Vanjie. 

“Come hold my waist.”

Brooke chuckled, but did as Vanjie asked. It took a few tries, Vanjie forcing him to pose over and over again, all of the photos with the key front and center. 

“One more?” Brooke smirked, but Vanjie finally shook his head.

“We got the good one.” Vanjie smiled. “Thanks for posing babe.”

Brooke squeezed Vanjie slightly, his arms around his waist.

“Gotta give the fans what they want.” Vanjie wiggled his brows, and Brooke chuckled.

“We need one more.”

“More? I thought you was hella bored.”

“Just one more.” Brooke smiled, and Vanjie held his phone up.

“Because this one.” Brooke gently touched Vanjie’s chin, moving his head, their eyes locked together. 

“This one is for us.” 

Brooke kissed Vanjie, the camera going off, and Brooke couldn’t believe that he had been blessed with so much luck.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

“We’re here.”

Brooke stopped the car, and Vanjie finally looked up from his phone. He had been completely caught up in looking at bathroom tiles, swiping away each time yet another Instagram notification came up to congratulate them on their purchase.

Vanjie had finally convinced Brooke to the idea of an ocean blue theme for their bathroom, the first thing they had done after posting the celebratory pictures online booking a plumber to come fix their shower so Brooke could actually fit in it.

It had been something they had agreed on before even purchasing the place, the shower pretty much getting redo from scratch, but it’d be more than worth the upfront cost when they had two showerheads, so neither of them ever needed to be cold or wait their turn when they showered together.

“Wait…” Vanjie looked around, for the first time noticing where he actually was. “This ain’t home.”

“Nope.” Brooke smiled, putting the car keys into his pocket. They were parked in front of Vanjies favorite sushi restaurant, the place hustling and bustling as always.

“You kidnapping me?”

“I figured we should celebrate properly?” Brooke leaned over, gently kissing Vanjie, a smirk on his own lips. “Isn’t that why you made us dress up?”

“Mmh…” It hadn’t actually been Vanjie’s plan, Brooke generally really not enjoying going out as a date, since he was much more of a stay in type, and Vanjie hadn’t wanted to press his luck, actually getting the keys still feeling like a dream that he was scared he’d wake up from. 

“Maybe?”

“Jose Cancel.” Brooke was looking annoyingly smug, and Vanjie knew that he was thoroughly enjoying the boyfriend points he was cashing in. “May I take you on a date?”

“You don’t needa say that twice stud.” Vanjie smiled, his boyfriend fucking stupid, and absolutely perfect.

///

“Can I turn the lights off?”

“Gi’m a minute.”

Brooke smiled to himself, actually climbing over everything in Vanjie’s teeny tiny place to get back from the bathroom feeling a bit like doing parkour. 

Vanjie was already lying in bed, Brooke’s laptop open on his stomach, his neck bent at an angle that Brooke knew he was going to regret in the morning. Brooke turned the overhead light off anyway, Vanjie huffing a quiet jerk under his breath, but didn’t cause any commotion, so Brooke took it as acceptance before he walked over and crawled into bed.

“Hey.” Brooke kissed Vanjie’s shoulder, his chest naked, his boyfriend's skin warm and delicious. 

“Hey.” Vanjie didn’t look up from the computer, but that was okay. Brooke put an arm and a leg over Vanjie’s, settling into his side, the position one he rarely got to be in, and it was kinda nice to be the little one for a change. The sound of Vanjie using the computer was oddly calming, his boyfriend humming to himself as he scrolled away, once in a while typing something, the tapping of the keys making Brooke feel wonderfully sleepy. 

Brooke rested his limbs, the bulge of Vanjie’s stomach under his arm, which made Vanjie squirm.

“Bitch-” Vanjie pushed Brooke’s arm away. “Don’t you get cute.”

Brooke chuckled into Vanjie’s shoulder, his hand sliding up, his thumb gently petting his stomach, his boyfriend overly full with food. Vanjie was practically unstoppable when it came to sushi, the other man always eating so much he essentially turned into a slug afterwards, Vanjie basically going into hibernation each and every time they went for sushi. 

“I am very cute.”

“Asshole.”

Brooke reached up, pressing a kiss to Vanjie’s neck. “Shut up.”

Brooke wondered if this was how adults felt - that cuddling filled with delicious food was just as valid a way to celebrate something major as having sex was. Brooke liked sex, and he loved sex with Vanjie, but there was something mature, something secure, about the fact that they didn’t have to fuck just because they should.

Vanjie was fed, happy, safe and sleepy, and Brooke loved him so much.

“You like this one?” Vanjie turned the computer screen slightly, and Brooke cracked an eye open, a smirk on his face when he realised that Vanjie was on Home Depot's website yet again.

“What are you looking at now?” Brooke smirked, pressing another kiss into Vanjie’s skin. 

“Carpets.”

“Ah.” Brooke had seen an almost endless parade of paint swatches on their way home from dinner, Vanjie suggesting blue for their bathroom, beige for their bedroom and grey for their living room. Brooke had never had such a dedicated colorscheme before, but it was kinda nice that Vanjie cared so much.

“I told you-” Brooke looked up at Vanjie, the stack of magazines under their bed growing at a worrying and also hilarious rate. “I trust your taste.”

“I don’t give a fuck if you trust it.” Vanjie scooted down, putting the computer at Brooke’s eyes level. “You gonna look at the options.”

Brooke tried to hide a yawn, but as Vanjie flipped through what he was looking at, he felt himself wake up more and more. Vanjie had found an array of beige carpets, but the more he saw, the more he started to regret his decision.

“Are you sure-” Brooke sat up on his elbow. “Do we really want to get that accent of cream?” 

“You’re so gay.” Vanjie snorted, and Brooke rolled his eyes.

“I’m just saying that it doesn’t really match the wall-”

Vanjie snickered, and Brooke looked up at him. 

“You a fucking liar Brock Hayhoe.” Vanjie smirked, changing his voice to mock Brooke’s accent. “I trust your taste.” Vanjie switched back to his own gruff newyorikan. “Knew your ass was just saying shit.”

Brooke pinched him, and Vanjie yelled, holding the laptop above his head as he tried to kick Brooke.

///

“Yo!”

Vanjie yelled into Silky’s apartment, the door to his friends place never locked no matter how many times Vanjie had told Silky that he was gonna get axe murdered by some creepo stalker one day.

“Big Silks!”

Vanjie and Brooke were going to Home Depot, and he had texted Silky eight times, all of his messages left on read.

“Bitch I know you’re in here. I see your rachet ass shoes!”

Vanjie walked through the apartment, pushing the door to the livingroom open, only to see Silky on the couch, his friend watching a rerun of Rugrats.

“You watching baby cartoons?”

“It about babies.” Silky looked over at Vanjie. “Don’t mean it’s only for babies.”

“I need the keys to the car.” Vanjie had never expected Brooke and Silky to be able to share a car, but surprisingly enough, it actually went okay most of the time. 

Vanjie held his hand out, Silky coming by to borrow them two days ago to drive to Taco Bell since he didn’t want to wait for the Postmate, Vanjie joining him because Brooke had been away for a weekend booking, the two of them talking all night while sharing Cinnamon twists in shitty Taco Bell plastic chairs, everything feeling exactly like it had always done between them.

“You got the munchies?” Silky smirked. 

“Nah. We gonna go get paint.” Vanjie smiled, the fact filling him with domestic glee. Brooke had done pretty close to everything to avoid actually going to Home Depot, but Steve and Jon were flying in from Chicago to help them paint later that afternoon, so it was now or never. 

“You wanna come? We might find some cute handyman trade for you!” Vanjie smirked, shimmering his shoulders a little, hunting for a man for Silky one of his favorite pastimes. Silky usually went along with it every time he had this chance, but this time, Vanjie saw Silky close down, his friend pulling away like he’d been burned. 

“‘M busy."

“You busy?” Vanjie raised an eyebrow, Silky usually never so dismissive of spending time together. “Bitch, it drag weekend, your cartoons can wait.”

It was a monday morning, and for drag queens it was the least likely time to be booked during the week. Monday was the chance to stay in, see friends, and do dumb shit together like going to Home Depot to look at straight dudes.

“You ain’t my Mama.” Silky crossed his arms, his eyes glued to the screen. 

“No but I’m your friend.” Vanjie sat down on the couch, the key to the car actually lying on the table, but it suddenly no longer felt important. 

“You okay?” Vanjie bit his lip, putting the phone he held in his hand down on the table.

“What makes you think I ain’t fine?” Silky still refused to look at him, the other man acting exactly like he had done when he had ignored Yvie during Drag Race. 

“Your shitty ass attitude?” Vanjie elbowed Silky in the side, hoping that the taunt would awaken the friend he knew and loved so much, but instead of laughing and fighting back with a glint in his eyes, Silky just pushed him right back.

“Bitch, that ain’t funny.”

“Okay seriously, who peed in your cereal?” Vanjie put a hand on his hip. “We friends, brothers from another mother, sisters from another mister. You can’t keep shit from your ride and die.”

“I told you there ain’t nothing.”

Vanjie was just about to open his mouth, when his phone began ringing, Brooke’s name and picture showing up on his screen, and Vanjie suddenly remembered that he was actually in a hurry. “Shit.”

“Fuck that.” Silky rolled his eyes.

“Hey-” The phone stopped ringing, and Vanjie looked at Silky. “It’s seriou-”

His phone started again, and Vanjie couldn’t remember the last time he felt so torn, both Brooke and Silky pulling at him at the exact same time.

“Just go.” Silky grabbed the keys from the table, giving them to Vanjie. “Get out of here.”

“Not if your mad when I ain’t done shit.”

“We cool.” Silky touched Vanjie’s knee, squeezing it gently. “Okay?”

“Promise?”

Silky shook his head, a small smile on his face, Vanjie’s phone ringing yet again. “We cool.”

“I love you sis.” Vanjie stood up. “You know that right?”

“I do asshole.” Silky smirked. “Now get going before your mans come to break down the door.” Silky slapped Vanjie’s ass, Vanjie laughing and throwing him the bird as he ran out of the apartment

///

Brooke had never imagined he’d willing spend his monday morning at Home Depot, yet, that was exactly where he had been, standing between what felt like a million different paints, his only saving grace the cup of coffee he had clutched in his hand.

They couldn’t move in until everything had gotten painted, a company coming next week to install their carpets and the new bathroom tiles as soon as the plumber was done, so Brooke had called in reinforcement, Steve and Jon coming down to help paint, Steve the least gay friend Brooke had when it came to actual handy work.

Vanjie had fully dressed for the part for Home Depot, his boyfriend in a checkered shirt as he had been quizzing a store clerk on the water resistance on the paints he had found. 

Brooke had been worried that the apartment had somehow turned into his project, Vanjie never actually replying to his questions when he had asked about the paperwork, only reassuring him that he had actually read it when Brooke asked, but as he saw how much Vanjie cared about getting the exact right shade of blue, Brooke knew that they were back on track.

Brooke were emptying out the backseat of the car, his knee on the seat, buckets of paint standing on the sidewalk when he heard Vanjie yell.

“Hoe!” Vanjie popped up right behind him, grabbing something from between Brooke’s legs and pulling it out of the car. “if you ain’t careful why we even bother moving this shit with the bubble wrap express.”

“From what I remember, you’re the one who insisted on the bubblewrap?” Brooke chuckled, and looking over his shoulder to see Vanjie who was standing with his Drag Race septer.

To say that Vanjie was mad when he had realised that Brooke had shipped all of his prices in the U-haul, would be quite the understatement. Brooke was more than proud of his Miss Continental crown, his Entertain of the Year second place and all the first places and runner up positions he had won, the Drag Race crown the newest to join his collection, but he had never actually had them out for display, putting things like that up feeling weirdly narcissistic and actually a little uncomfortable.

“This is Drag history!” Vanjie threw an arm out. “You gotta watch out for this shit.”

“Sure.” Brooke rolled his eyes, getting ready to crawl back in the car, when Vanjie poked him in the lower back with the scepter.

“Hey!”

Vanjie had insisted on dedicating an entire shelf to Brooke’s prices in the Drag Room, the shelving Vanjie had shown him designed to go exactly down the middle of their room as the only shared piece of furniture, and while Brooke wasn’t exactly sure he liked the idea, it was impossible not to be swept up in Vanjie’s enthusiasm, his boyfriend so very sweet when he had facetimed Brooke to show him the glass cases he had gotten for his crowns. Sometimes, Vanjie was an absolute Drag fanboy, and Brooke couldn’t help but indulge it.

“If you ain’t gonna be proud of yourself.” Vanjie pointed the scepter at Brooke. “You bet your white ass that I’ma be it for you. Comprende?”

“Comprende.” Brooke smiled. “Now hurry up, Steve and Jon are landing soon.”

///

“So this is the place?”

Steve put his sunglasses into his hair, looking around, dumping his duffle on the floor. 

“Mmh!” Brooke smiled, his eyes bright, and Vanjie loved him so much. 

“Should I take my shoes off?” Jon chimed in, standing right behind his husband. 

“Please do!” Vanjie yelled, getting to say such adult words causing excitement to course through his body. Vanjie had taken a stroll around their new neighborhood while Brooke had gone to the airport to pick up Steve and Jon, passing by a Ralphs as he had gone exploring. 

“I got us all the dranks, so you better come see the boss ass kitchen!”

///

“It seems like you’ve made a good choice with this place B.” Steve smiled, and Brooke chuckled, pride pleasantly coursing through his body. 

“Thanks man.”

They were each drinking a beer, the two of them standing side by side in the living room, looking out the window at the yard that all the apartments shared, Brooke already knowing that Riley was going to love it. 

“So how much are we painting?” 

The previous owners had left everything a somewhat poopy brown, not even the giant windows saving it, and Brooke cringed a little as he opened his mouth to reply to his best friend.

“Everything?”


	5. Chapter 5

“Is this closer to the color you want?” 

Vanjie peeked over Brooke’s shoulder. Brooke was crouched down, stirring the grey paint for their living room and Vanjie was hanging on his back, arms around his neck as he watched Brooke work.

Vanjie had been so careful when he had picked out the paints, had really tried to make the right decision and had even taken the time to research, but as Brooke had pried the can open, the color had been all wrong. 

It had been way too dark, and not anywhere near the light, calming sophisticated dove grey Vanjie had fallen in love with in his magazines and that the can had promised him.

They had been two seconds away from a meltdown on Vanjie’s part, but Brooke had saved it by adding some of the white paint they were going to use for the hallway to the mix, Vanjie feeling like an idiot at how simple the solution had been, only for them to be presented with another problem.

Vanjie had never tried painting a wall by himself before, and since Brooke had been completely zoned out while at Home Depot, neither of them had noticed that they needed a stirrer. Jon had thankfully saved the day though, with a pair of chopsticks that he had found in the kitchen, the previous owners apparently leaving them behind, which Vanjie found super disrespectful, even though it had helped their asses out.

“It’s perfecto handy boy.” Vanjie smiled, giving Brooke’s cheek a brief smosh, which made Steve snicker. 

“Brock-” Steve looked down at Brooke, their little paint station set up by the door. “Can I have the can?”

“Mmmh.”

Vanjie looked to the side, his head still hanging over Brooke’s shoulder, but he could see that his boyfriend wasn’t listening, his eyes still focused on the paint. Brooke was completely caught up in making sure that he got every last smudge of white completely stirred out, turning everything else out.

Even though they both had ADHD, it presented itself in vastly different ways. Vanjie’s brain always felt like a popcorn machine, thoughts popping everywhere, distractions throwing themselves at him at every turn, and most of the time he was barely able to focus on anything he found even slightly boring but Brooke was the complete opposite.

Brooke’s entire attention could zoom in on insignificant little details, researching things that didn’t actually matter, his man often spending hours caught up in a book with no idea what was going on around him, Broke happily doing a dance move over and over and over again until it was down perfectly or it would be like now, his entire attention hyperfocused on making sure the paint was stirred perfectly.

“Hey-“ Steve snapped his fingers in front of Brooke’s face. “Earth to Brock.”

“What?” Brooke looked up. 

“Hand me the can.”

“Oh.” Brooke straightened his back, Vanjie following him since he was still hanging on. “Sorry.”

///

“So where you want me hot stuff?”

Brooke looked over at Vanjie, a smile on his face as his boyfriend was standing with a hand on his hip. Vanjie had changed, and he was now in a white wife beater and an old pair of jeans, a red scarf around his neck finishing off the look. 

Brooke was absolutely sure that if he went through Vanjie’s phone, there would be an avalanche of photos in there, the outfit way too planned for Vanjie not to have done a miniature selfie shoot for his social media, and Brooke was already intrigued by what Vanjie would actually. 

The whole thing was so stupid, but so sweet, his boyfriend of course someone that had a dedicated outfit for painting so he could live his homeowner fantasy, and Brooke loved him so very much.

“Take this-” Brooke held his hand out, handing Vanjie a clean paintroll which the other man took. “And come on over here.”

“Ay ay Captain.” Vanjie did a salute, walking over, the paint by their feet. 

“It just up and down right?” Vanjie made the movement with the roll, Brooke reminded of Monique and Monet on All Stars, a brief rush of thankfulness that neither he nor Vanjie with his three Drag Race runs had ever had to attempt something that complicated.

“Up and down,” Brooke tapped Vanjie’s ass, his boyfriend huffing though the giant smile on his face told it’s very own story of how he felt. “So you just concentrate on whatever you can reach big guy.” Brooke smirked, redipping his own roller in the paint.

Vanjie gasped, his mouth hanging up. “You calling me short?!” 

“If the shoe fits.”

“Bitch!” Vanjie pushed his paintroll in Brooke’s face, Brooke spluttering as he got the foam in his mouth, everybody laughing, Brooke grabbing Vanjie’s belt and pulling him close, the two of them kissing.

///

“One for my babe.” Jon chuckled as Steve handed him a coffee

They had painted the living room, the four of them easily getting it done, the drag room following right after, the soft yellow Vanjie had picked looking more than correct on the walls, their guest bedroom painted a deep forest green. 

They had done the first coat in the bedroom, the beige just as Vanjie had hoped when he had picked it up, and they were now tackling the kitchen, the red color not one Brooke had immediately loved, but it had been the kitchen color in Vanjie’s childhood home, and he had always wanted it in his forever home, which Brooke hadn’t been able to find a single argument against, though his face looked like he had just bitten a sour apple when he had actually seen the color.

“One for Jose.” 

“Thanks.” Vanjie smiled brightly. 

Steve had volunteered to make a coffee run, a bag of cookies on the counter for them for when they finished painting all the little nooks and crannies in the kitchen, Steve telling Vanjie with a smile that he had gotten a double chocolate chip just for him.

“And a latte for Brock.” Steve handed it to Brooke. Vanjie watched with a smile on his lip, his own coffee just the exact right amount of sweet. 

Brooke had dropped his hoodie, and was painting in a black t-shirt, the fact that they were working the perfect excuse to ogle his mand whenever he had the chance. Vanjie loved watching Brooke do physical labor, watching his arms go up and down, look at his ass whenever he bend over, his sweats stretching juuust right over the globe of perfect flesh.

“Thanks man.” Brooke took the lid of his cup, ready to drink from it, when he paused, his brow wrinkling.

“... Why is there a heart in my coffee?”

“Because I asked for it.” Steve smirked.

“Let me repeat myself once more. Why is there a heart in my coffee?”

“Have to make sure you know I love you.” Steve wiggled his brows, and Brooke snorted, a loud and surprised laugh leaving his mouth.

“You’re so whipped.” Jon smiled, rolling his eyes as he dipped his brush, the fine details around the kitchen window easily done with a cup of coffee in the other hand.

“He’s not.” Brooke countered, not even allowing Steve to answer, which made Vanjie feel weird, his stomach clenching.

“Oh?” Jon raised his eyebrow. “Who calls him a thousand times a day?” Jon held the paint brush to his ear, pretending it was a phone, mimicking Steve’s deeper tone. 

“Yes, yes Brock of course we can do that. Oh you changed your mind again for the fourth time? Sorry baby we can’t watch a movie I have to take the phone since Brock is calling me for the second time in 45 minutes”

Brooke gasped. “I do not do that!”

“Did you,” Jon smiled, “or did you not force him to drive in a snowstorm?”

“Maybe,” Brooke blushed, his cheeks growing hot. “But I’m not that bad.”

Vanjie vaguely remembered hearing the story in one of the podcasts Brooke had done. Vanjie hadn’t told Brooke, since he knew that he’d never do the same, but Vanjie often put either a podcast, a live or some sort of video on when he was alone and missed Brooke. 

“You are a little bit bad.” Steve smiled. “But I don’t mind.”

“See-” Jon smirked. “At least my husband know that he’s whipped. I mean-” Jon pointed at Vanjie. “I’m thrilled that you’re moving in with Jose, since you actually calm down when you’re around him.”

Vanjie felt a surge of pride rush over him. He knew that Brooke called Steve more when he was anxious, that it was an easy fix for his brain to have Steve’s calming voice in his ear, Brooke’s trust in Steve meaning that it genuinely helped him to have Steve reassure him that everything was okay, but if what Jon said was true, Vanjie was helping Brooke relax and feel at ease.

“Okay, when did this painting session become the roast Brock hour?”

///

Brooke had no idea what paint Vanjie had actually ended up picking at Home Depot, but the bathroom carried a sharp chemical tang, Brooke actually very happy that they weren’t moved in yet, the scent probably not all that healthy for animals.

Brooke had taken his t-shirt off, and was washing his arms and hands, some of the yellow paint refusing to budge no matter how much he scrubbed. He heard a knock on the door, a smile on his lips as he knew Vanjie was the only other person in the apartment.

“It’s occupied.”

“You shitting in there?”

Brooke snorted, Vanjie as crass as always, his boyfriend truly knowing how to keep the romance alive.

“No.”

Brooke had barely even finished saying the word, when Vanjie opened the door, Brooke turning off the faucet with his elbow.

“Well hello sexy.” Vanjie looked him up and down, and Brooke straightened his back a little, Vanjie’s eyes lingering on his body, and it felt great to be appreciated. It sucked going to the gym, and if Brooke had been single, he wouldn’t do anywhere near the regime he was on, but it always seemed like it was worth it, when Vanjie spent those extra few seconds checking him out.

“Do you need the bathroom?” Brooke nodded towards the toilet with his head, but it didn’t seem like that was what Vanjie was after.

“Steve and Jon left to change at the hotel.” Vanjie smiled, a glint in his eyes.

“I know?”

“That means we all alone.”

“I kno-” Brooke felt annoyed, Vanjie acting strange, when it all clicked in his head. “Oh-”

“Oh indeed.” Vanjie grabbed the elastic of Brookes sweats, and pulled him down for a kiss. Brooke touched Vanjie’s hips, pressing him against his body, but Vanjie yelped, palming at his wet hands.

“Bitch why you got wet hands?”

“There’s no towel in here.”

“You an animal.” Vanjie laughed, and Brooke kissed him again. He loves kissing Vanjie. Warm and sweet, his lips one of the best things on the planet. Vanjie pushed him back, not bothering to close the door behind him, Brooke hitting the bathroom cabinet behind him.

“You so fucking hot today.” Vanjie looked up at him, and Brooke felt his breath catch in his throat. Vanjie’s eyes blown with desire. “My handy man,” Vanjie’s hand ran over his stomach, “my sexy man.” Vanjie kissed his peck. “You so smart.”

Brooke gasped as Vanjie bit his nipple, and he grabbed Vanjie’s hair, pulling him back.

“Like you didn’t dress up for me?”

“You noticed?” Vanjie smirked, pleased and coquettish.

“I’ll always notice you.”

Brooke could feel Vanjie gasp, and tightened his grip on his hip to make sure Vanjie didn’t fall, his knees physically buckling.

“What do you want?” Brooke whispered, the air electric between them, Brooke holding Vanjie close.

“Wanna suck your dick.”

Brooke chuckled, the sound cut off and turning into a moan as Vanjie thrusted forward and Brooke acted quick, moving his hand from Vanjie’s hair to his chin. 

“Behave-” Brooke grabbed him, pressing his thumb against Vanjie’s mouth, his boyfriend opening up without protest. “And I might let you-”

Vanjie nodded, sucking on Brooke’s thumb, his eyes half lidded and slutty, Vanjie soft in his hands and just how he liked him best. Brooke bumped Vanjie with his hips, releasing him to reach for Vanjie’s belt, Vanjie whimpering at the sound of metal as Brooke pulled it open.

“Good boy.” 

Brooke pressed down, his thumb flat against Vanjie’s tongue, and he fell to his knees.

“My beautiful boy.” Vanjie groaned, and Brooke pulled back, Vanjie for a minute chasing his thumb, but then he got to his senses, his hands flying to Brooke’s sweats, quickly pulling them and his underwear down, Brooke’s cock springing free. 

He was hot and hard, and Vanjie instantly licked up the side, Brooke groaning as he popped his lips over the head. 

“Fuck-” Brooke’s hips stuttered, Vanjie normally much more of a tease, but it had apparently really been that hot for him to watch Brooke work. Vanjie’s tongue was swirling around him, sucking his head and working under his foreskin, chasing the taste that Brooke knew Vanjie loved.

Brooke moaned, and he could feel Vanjie respond, his boyfriend opening his mouth even more, greedily sucking Brooke down his throat.

“Jose-” Brooke gripped the cabinet behind him, his other hand finding Vanjie’s hair, but Vanjie was holding him back, one palm planted on Brooke’s thigh.

It was so fucking hot, a trickle of droll falling from Vanjie’s mouth as he worked Brooke, his boyfriend completely lost in the pleasure of having his cock deep in his throat.

“Please-” Brooke reached down, desperate to touch his balls, needing that counterpoint, but Vanjie beat him to it. Vanjie took them, his underwear fully sliding down to his knees, rolling them in his palm, and Brooke groaned.

He could already feel the pressure, the whole thing so unexpected and hot, the familiar heat collecting at the bottom of his spine, the need to fuck growing and growing in his hips, and Brooke couldn’t stand it.

“Up!” Brooke pulled Vanjie’s hair, his boyfriend groaning at the loss. He chased after his dick, but Vanjie still stood, Brooke forcing his way into Vanjie’s jeans, the button popping as he showed his entire hand down his underwear, pulling his cock out, spitting in his hand before he grabbed them both, Vanjie crying out at the sudden pressure, the sudden pleasure, Brooke knowing that he had just lit Vanjie’s nerves on fire.

Brooke grabbed Vanjie’s ass, clutching the flesh between his fingers, not caring that he was rough, not caring that it was hurting, Vanjie gasping, his mouth open, their dicks sliding together in Brooke’s clenched fist, his hips thrusting harshly.

“Please-” Vanjie gasped, pulling at Brooke’s shoulder. “Please-”

Brooke kissed him, the two of them coming together for the first time in their new apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

[Photo of Vanjie standing by a window in a white tank top, a red neck scarf around his neck. He’s holding a clean paint roller on over his shoulder. Second photo is an empty room with deep forest green walls.]

VanessaVanjie: The papers are signed, key is acquired and the bitch is painted 💋

///

Brooke swore under his breath as he stuffed yet another cheeseburger wrapper into the plastic bag he had found. He had originally only wanted to look for his measuring tape on the backseat since he was at the new apartment, their carpenter emailing him that he needed a set of measurements, but the car was an utter mess.

Silky had called Vanjie at 3 am last night, Brooke so close to just smashing his boyfriends phone when the ring tone had pulled him out of his slumber, but Vanjie had simply woken up, Brooke equal parts annoyed and touched by his boyfriend's loyalty as he talked to Silky, Vanjie actually getting out of bed to go see his friend since Silky had apparently been ghosted by his newest attempted boytoy from what Brooke could gather by Vanjie’s replies.

Silky and Vanjie had taken the car out, Vanjie crawling back into bed at 7 for a kiss and a cuddle, but when Brooke had come to get it in the morning, it had been a mess of fast food wrappers, and he really really really really did not want to know what had gone down last night.

“Excuse me-“

Brooke heard a voice behind him, and he swore under his breath, pulling out of the car, hoping with his entire soul that it wasn’t someone who was about to hand him a parking ticket. They hadn’t actually gotten their new parking license yet, all that paperwork only possible once they moved their adress.

Brooke turned around, coming face to face with a man that looked like he was in his mid twenties.

Brooke raised a brow, the stranger who had interrupted him not in any kind of uniform so it seemed like he wasn’t a police officer or someone who could give him any kind of ticket. Actually, he was just in a tank top and shorts, a giant iced coffee in his hand. 

“Hello?” 

The stranger hadn’t said anything, their eyes wide as they looked at his face. 

“Can I help you with something?”

“You’re, you are Brooke Lynn Hytes, right?”

It was in that exact moment, Brooke realised he had fucked up. He couldn’t deny who he was, the stranger very clearly a fan.

“.... Yes.”

He had been recognised on the street that he lived on, and Brooke was freaking out on the inside, everything in him screaming that he had to throw his keys to the apartment away and burn the building down.

“Do you live around here?” 

Brooke desperately wished the earth would swallow him up, but the normal person that somehow still lived inside of him had kicked in, his face apparently looking fine since the stranger hadn’t freaked out about his question. 

Instead, they smiled.

“I’m here on vacation.”

Brooke felt his entire body almost collapse, intense relief rushing over him. It was okay, they didn’t have to move, the stranger not actually living in their building. They still had privacy, or at least as much as you could have while living in an apartment.

“Can I have a picture with you?”

///

“That’s my lil man!” Vanjie smiled brightly as Riley ran up the stairs, the little dog so fast he had to hold his leash. “He ain’t scared of shit!”

They were only coming over to check on the bathroom, the handyman almost finished with their new shower after what Vanjie had experienced as an eternity, the apartment hopefully ready to move into at the end of the month.

It had been Brooke’s idea to bring Riley, to give the dog a chance to see the painted but aired out apartment without the cats taking up attention to or furniture filling everything up.

“He looks very fearless.” Brooke smirked, his tone very clearly sarcastic and teasing, but Vanjie still felt his heart skip a beat.

It was bordering on stupid how often he realised how much he loved Brooke, but it was his geniune emotion. 

It was hard not to be floored over moments like this, even in their ridiculousness and dripping sarcasm, when Vanjie had spent over a year not actually experiencing genuine downtime and the happiness of domesticity with the man he loved. 

Sure, it was nice to have Brooke staying in his apartment, to know that he was legally living there, but that was Vanjie’s space, and not something that was theirs.

The year had been a crazy whirlwind, Brooke his anchor in the tornado that was Drag Race and Vanjie wouldn’t change how they had met or what they had gone through so far for anything in the world, but it wasn’t the same as spending everyday together like you usually do as a couple.

He was sure Brooke didn’t feel like he had missed out on anything, that he was more than content with how their lives had been, but Vanjie couldn’t help but think that it was because Brooke had never tried anything else.

He had never had the experience of coming home to someone he loved after a shitty day, the satisfaction of going grocery shopping for a home that belonged to both you and your partner, how great it could feel to snuggle up on a couch together and know that no one was going home later.

“Shut your dumbass face.”

“Ay ay captain.”

Brooke unlocked the door to their apartment, Vanjie crouching down to unclick Riley’s leash, the little dog running into the apartment.

Brooke had absolutely been the driving force behind the renovation projects they had done on the apartment before moving in, so Vanjie hadn’t actually been there for a while, but as he walked into the living room, he saw something he would have never ever expected.

Right there. In the middle of their beautiful dove grey living room. Stood a ugly ass leather couch.

“Brock!” Vanjie yelled through the apartment, trying and failing to keep the hysteria out of his voice.

“Yes?” Brooke called from the bathroom.

“Come here!”

Vanjie turned around as Brooke showed up in the door, his jacket over his arm. “What’s the matter?”

“The fuck-” Vanjie pointed at the couch. “Is that?”

“Oh!” Brooke smiled, his face lighting up. “It’s our new couch.”

“Our?” Vanjie felt a meltdown approaching, and he took a deep breath through his nose.

“Isn’t it nice?” 

“You bought a couch without me?” Vanjie was biting his cheek, trying so so hard not to yell at his man.

“No.” Brooke laughed like Vanjie was stupid, and he was just about to explode, when Brooke continued. “- I found it on the street!”

Vanjie froze, his brain rebooting.

“WHAT?!” He yelled. “You did WHAT?!”

“There’s no need to freak out?” Brooke pushed off from the door, walking into the living room. 

“It’s great quality and barely used, so we have to have some pretty rich neighbours. Besides-” Brooke put his hand in his pockets. “It’s actually really lucky, I used to find things on the street all the time in New York. but I don’t think I ever found anything this new.”

“How did you even get it in here?” It wasn’t the question Vanjie wanted answered, but it was the only one he could think of.

“Our upstairs neighbor.” Brooke shrugged, and Vanjie realized that Brooke had actually carried it up from the street, the whole thing not some insane practical joke. “I didn’t get his name but his wife is called Kelly. Really nice very very straight couple in their 40’s.”

“We ain’t keeping it.”

“Why not?”

“It’s ugly.”

“It’s leather?”

“I don’t want no nasty trash couch in my apartment!” Vanjie felt like tearing his hair out, Brooke infuriating in how he apparently couldn’t see Vanjie’s point at all.

“It’s not trash.” Vanjie could feel that Brooke was growing irritated too, a storm brewing between them. “Can’t you just be happy I found us a nice couch for free?” 

“It don’t even match the paint!” Vanjie threw his arm out, pointing at the walls they had spent an entire day painting.

Brooke opened his mouth, clearly about to say something when he shut it again, no counter argument coming out.

“You really care about this, huh?” Brooke watched him, his blue eyes searching Vanjie’s face, and Vanjie suddenly felt self conscious, almost embarrassed.

“So what if I do?” He huffed, unwilling to let Brooke in on exactly how long he had spent making pinterest boards after his mom had told him about the app, his phone tabs filled with the webpages of of antique stores and the largest chains in L.A.

“Show me which ones you want” Brooke smiled. “Please?”

///

Brooke was stretching out in the back of the dance studio Voss had rented for their Werq The World rehearsals. It could hardly happen at a worse time, Vanjie’s lease up any moment, so they were more than busy trying to get everything to happen on schedule.

The rehearsal call from Voss however, had not been one that could be ignored, the email very clearly stating that everyone was expected to show up, no excuses allowed.

“You seen Vanjie?”

Brooke turned to see Shangela, his sister standing there in a pink shirt, a bottle of water in hand, Kim sitting on the floor behind him on his phone. 

Shangela was co producer of the tour, and while Brooke knew he was current reigning, he was sort of suspecting that there was a pretty good chance he and Vanjie had been picked to come along because Shangela was more than fond of Vanjie as a queen.

“No.” 

Brooke had taken an Uber from the apartment by himself, Vanjie disappearing in the morning while saying Jason’s name though Brooke hadn’t actually caught what they were doing. Not that it actually mattered, Vanjie was his own person; and he could do what he wanted when he wanted to.

Brooke glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 5 minutes past call time, and Brooke wanted to roll his eyes.

“I haven’t seen him.”

Shangela raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you two live together?”

Brooke felt himself bristle, how Shangela just expected him to keep track of Vanjie, the tone that indicated it was somehow his job or his problem making annoyance flare up in his chest.

“I wasn’t aware that a shared mortgage made us the same person.” 

“Hey, no need to get prissy.” Shangela held up his hands. “I just figured he woke up in your bed this morning.” Shangela smirked.

“Right…” Brooke crossed his arms, the air between still a little awkward. “Sorry I sna-”

“I’m here!” Vanjie slammed the door open, everyone turning their attention to it, the man completely out of breath. “Fuck those stairs-”

“Hey, hey.” Brandon Voss smiled. “No need to pop a lung.”

“I ain’t late?” Vanjie looked around, confusion clear on his face while Shangela walked over.

“Oh no, you are sis-” Shangela chuckled. “But Miss Violet hasn’t even hit the state, so you good.”

Everyone laughed, even Brooke cracking a smile.

///

_ @AsiaOhara. _ _   
_ _   
_ __ The story is a beige studio space with wooden floors. Brooke is in black shorts, white shoes, a black tee and a black cap, Vanjie is in a white t-shirt, grey and red workout pants and red shoes. Brooke and Vanjie are sitting together, Brooke’s hand gently caressing up and down Vanjie’s back as he looks straight ahead, Vanjie’s arm around Brooke’s pulled up knee as he’s on his phone.

_ The text “You’re welcome clowns” is written on the video. _

///

“You like these bedside tables?”

Vanjie titled his phone, Brooke focusing on his screen.

“Do we like that wood?”

Vanjie didn’t even need to look at Kameron to feel his snicker, but he didn’t care. 

“Everybody likes oak.” Vanjie huffed. “It’s classy as fuck.”

Brooke chuckled, and he was just about to respond when his name was called.

“Brock-”

They both looked up at the same time, Chancellor who was the main choreographer of the tour watching them. 

“You’re up.”

Valentina had just finished his solo rehearsal, everyone meeting their dancers quickly to get a feel of them.

“Sure-” Brooke detangled himself from Vanjie, dropping his hoodie which Vanjie instantly grabbed and draped over himself.

“This is going to be your main backup on stage.” Chancellor pointed to a muscular brunette, and Vanjie watched as he stood up, the dancer somehow a little taller than his man.

“Hi-” Brooke smiled, holding out a hand. “I’m Brock.”

Vanjie snorted, his man of course introducing himself with his boy name.

“Daniel.” He grabbed Brooke’s hand, shaking it. “Can’t wait to work together.”

///

“Fuck!” Brooke groaned as he managed to maneuver their mattress into place. He felt sweaty and gross, but it was thankfully over, his body finally allowed to rest.

The entire apartment looked like a warzone, furniture, boxes and way too many black plastic bags with drag stacked everywhere, but Brooke was so very very grateful that they had paid a moving company to take care of everything instead of attempting to rally friends up even though nothing was in the right place.

The priority for both of them had been taking care of the pets, Henry and Apollo once again locked in the bathroom with their favorite cat food, while Vanjie had taken Riley for a long walk and cuddled him up in the kitchen with a human sized duvet since Riley loved it. 

“Do you have the sheets?”

“Right here stud.” Vanjie smirked, and he sat down to open his backpack that had also held extra toilet paper and their toothbrushes, their duvets and pillows waiting in the car. 

They had set their temporary bedroom up in the drag closet, since it was the least filled space, their future bedroom completely inaccessible for now as the movers had needed to fill up from the back. 

“Thanks.” Brooke grabbed the sheets, while they waited for dinner to arrive, the doorbell ringing seconds later.

“I’ll get it.” Brooke stood up, and Vanjie gave him a quick kiss, a smile on his face as Brooke walked to the door.

Brooke hadn’t told Vanjie what he had ordered, had simply nonchalantly mentioned that he’d take care of their dinner, and he was sure Vanjie was expecting either pizza or something greasier, but he had actually ordered a regular feast of sushi, the order putting him out of more dollars than he was proud of.

“Just keep the change.”

Brooke locked the front door behind him, quickly checking if everything was in the bag including the drinks before he walked back, doing his very best not to accidentally step on anything. 

Brooke couldn’t remember closing the drag room door behind him, and as he opened it, he realised that he hadn’t, a major surprise waiting for him.

In the short amount of time Brooke had been gone, Vanjie had managed to set up a regular picnic right in the middle of the bare room, a blanket spread out on the floor, live candles burning in their candle holders, soft music playing from Vanjie’s phone.

“Surprise!”

“What the- Jose this is- How in the world did you manage to get a bottle of champagne?” 

“You ain’t gotta get ready-“ Vanjie smiled brightly, his boyfriend holding the bottle. “if you stay ready.”

Vanjie reached for the cork. “You’re not the only bitch who can plan a surprise miss ‘I’ll get dinner’”

Brooke laughed, and Vanjie popped the bottle, the whole thing feeling both surreal and perfect.

“Come here hot stuff.” Vanjie smirked, and Brooke sat down, his boyfriend pouring them both a generous serving in the Canada mugs Brooke recognised and handing it to him, Vanjie apparently preparing it all in his backpack and Brooke loved him so very much.

“Cheers Mami.” Vanjie smiled, holding his mug up.

“Cheers Papi.” Brooke clinked their mugs, their lips meeting in a sweet kiss in their very own apartment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read along! Also, please know that I read every single comment, but I unfortunately get super anxious about replying though I very very very much appreciate them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone on Tumblr who shared ideas, and to Thankyoumissvanjie for listening and reading along!


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